Talking Billions with Bogumil Baranowski

Monsoon Pabrai: The Woman Who Learned from Buffett, Munger, and Mohnish Pabrai - Now She Is Redefining Value Investing for the Next Generation

Aug 4, 2025

Monsoon Pabrai, managing partner of Drew Investment Management, draws on lessons from legendary investors like her father, Mohnish Pabrai, and Charlie Munger. She shares how her childhood experiences shaped her unique perspective on value investing, particularly in emerging markets like India. Monsoon discusses navigating market volatility with emotional stability, emphasizing the importance of patience and thorough research. She also highlights the transformative role of technology in investing and advocates for greater female representation in finance.

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ANECDOTE

Even Temperament From Father

Monsoon learned emotional discipline from her father, who maintained an even temperament despite almost a decade of not earning fees.
She never saw him have a bad day at home, a lesson she deeply appreciates for investing success.

ANECDOTE

Warren Buffett Lunch Memories

At age 12, Monsoon attended a Warren Buffett lunch where he advised, "the most important decision is who you marry."
Buffett engaged warmly and humorously, making a lasting impression beyond investing topics.

ANECDOTE

American Express COVID Insight

During COVID-19, Monsoon and her father identified American Express trading at a PE of 7 as a unique opportunity.
They realized the suspended travel meant customer retention float grew massively, offering capital allocation advantages.

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[Join our community at my Substack where we continue these conversations with deeper dives into the biggest lessons from each episode, plus my regular essays and behind-the-scenes thoughts: https://bogumilbaranowski.substack.com/]Today's guest:

Monsoon Pabrai is the managing partner of Drew Investment Management, who combines generational wisdom from legendary investors like her father, Mohnish Pabrai, Charlie Munger, and Guy Spier, with her own distinctive approach to global value investing, particularly in India's emerging markets.

EPISODE NOTES

3:00 - Childhood shaped by entrepreneurship over money talk; Chipotle visits became business lessons on cost optimization and operational efficiency

6:00 - At age 12, attended legendary Warren Buffett lunch with Guy Spier; Buffett's advice: "most important decision is who you marry"

9:00 - Learning temperament from father during 9+ years without collecting fees; "I've never seen him have a bad day at all"

12:00 - KEY INSIGHT: American Express COVID opportunity - when travel stopped, 60 cents per dollar usually spent on customer retention became massive float for capital allocation

15:00 - March 2020 market crash: colleagues broke emotionally, sold at bottom despite decades of experience

18:00 - Guy Spier as "uncle figure" - long-term compounder philosophy of buying quality and never selling

27:00 - Investment process: random idea generation through travel, conferences, Value Line screening, then rigorous 4-part analysis framework

35:00 - Four investment criteria: 1) Good business quality 2) Margin of safety 3) Capital allocation 4) Alignment of interests (crucial for emerging markets)

42:00 - AI revolution transforming research speed: "NotebookLM can read a 10K faster than me"

47:00 - India investing: 60-70% of 3,000+ listed companies "untouchable" due to fraud risk, but incredible opportunities exist with proper network

53:00 - Dakshana foundation: educating underprivileged students for IIT entrance (1.3% acceptance rate); "most motivating people I've ever met"

Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement

Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.